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Our Faith More Precious than Gold, Tested for God’s Glory
By Kato Mivule
February 20 2005
Again going through the writings of
Peter the Apostle, I am again taken by the context in which he wrote
and the days and times he lived, as such it made great sense to the
people to whom he wrote and those who listened to his message. The
church as we already know was suffering and going through their
tribulation. They were not busy reading “Left Behind” Series but
encouraging one another to endure.
I write because I believe that the
days coming ahead very soon, will test all the will of men and only
those with divine strength from the Lord will be able to endure. This
I share from the bottom of my heart that we should allow the Holy
Spirit to prepare us mentally, physically and spiritually to endure
the days coming ahead to test all men upon the earth.
One of the reasons why many people
are deceived with today’s “feel good” messages is that we have turned
away from the true source of our salvation, Jesus Christ. We have
turned to things of this world that fade away. The Apostle Peter
speaks to his generation not to loose sight of the fact that they were
not redeemed by Silver and Gold but by the precious blood of the Lamb.
Our redemption is not based on the
most elegant preachers and teachers of today’s Western Laodicean
Church. Our redemption is not in the mega multi-million dollar
structure churches we have built by the power of the mighty dollar.
Our redemption is not in the powerful Dove Award music stars in
Nashville but in the Blood of the Lamb.
It is easy to shout Amen to such
statements but the time of testing is coming ahead that will test the
hearts of all true Christians to separate those who trust in Silver
and Gold from those who trust in the Blood of Jesus Christ. The
Western Gospel has turned out to be a message of “feel good”
psychology, not only proclaimed by Christian TV preachers but even by
some of the most scholarly bible teachers whose message always aims at
driving people to change their lifestyles so as to “have a better
life” and finally “ be happy”. The goal is to get Christians feel
“happy”.
But The Apostle Peter speaks about
rejoicing in the Lord during the trials and tribulations they had to
endure. How does one rejoice in the Lord yet they know they are going
to get killed for believing in Christ Jesus? This is far from just
being happy, and the “God wants you to be okay” messages. This was the
Holy Spirit given joy. Not some self-help books to force people into
happiness.
Our society in the West in so
consumed with this “happiness” and attitude thing that we have created
a multi-billion dollar industry aimed at riding all kinds of new and
old depressions from the kids and adults.
George Orwell in his book 1984
depicts a drug-induced society in which a character named Winston
could not remember if he had a dragged sleep or none dragged sleep.
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World prophesied aptly about a drug driven
society that derived happiness from Soma, the miracle pill that
alleviated all kinds of depression. Corporate giants have turned the
West into a Soma consuming society. In other wards people find
themselves buying Soma anti-depressant pills, convinced by “Doctors”
and “Psychologists” that they will get “happiness”.
The Soma mentality has not only
captured the secular society of the West but now is being marketed to
the Church in the form of “feel good” positive possibility thinking
messages. Anything that does not fall in those lines is considered a
negative message and the messenger a false. The consumption of Soma by
American Christians has turned out to be a multi-million dollar
publishing industry, catching the eye of Wall Street. All “Christian”
books sold on Wal-Mart’s shelves and other major stores have to do
with a “feel good” “positive thinking possibility” self-help
message—the Christendom Soma.
However, the Apostle Peter
encourages us that our salvation in not on such sinking sand
foundations but through redemption of Jesus Christ and His precious
blood. It is only Jesus Christ that gives us True Joy even when we
endure trials. No need to take Soma and all other synthetic drugs to
induce happiness. We get our joy from the Lord, knowing that the
things of this earth pass away but His Word Endures forever. It is
Jesus Christ who will give us strength to endure the coming economic,
political, spiritual trails coming to test all mankind.
However, I write to encourage you
that the times coming ahead are times for us to rejoice and totally
trust in the Lord. It is a time to test our Faith, which is more
precious than Gold and Silver. In our language today, our faith will
be tested, which is more precious than The Stock Market, the dollar,
vacationing, new SUV, and all the indulgence that America and the West
can offer at their best.
A time is coming when the
glittering churches will be removed, the music systems gone and the
dove award wining musicians gone. No huge congregations, no pastor
personal jets and first class air tickets except for those in love
with the anti-Christ, none of the Gold and Silver in Christendom will
be able to withstand the testing of the Lord coming ahead.
However, as Christians who
seriously love the Lord, we are called to endure and encouraged to
persevere cause the truth is that our faith, which is more precious
than gold will be tested. As I write this piece, this is not news to
those suffering daily in the rest of the poor world, it is normal
life, they keep looking to the Lord who will come to bring about true
justice.
Our trials are not without value,
but to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ at His appearing. The world
stage is getting ready for a one-world government daily, they are more
than already ready than many of us expect. It is only a times notice
before they launch their agenda, only the Lord is holding, giving us
time to prepare. It saddens my heart that many western Churches
continue in their sleep and falling in love with mammon and the
political messiahs of this world. I pray that your eyes will stay open
and you will watch with the Lord.
However, the Apostle Peter
encourages us to live lives of love, and holiness, surrendered to the
Lord and waiting for His return even as we have to endure the trials
set before us. We are encouraged to continue living lives pleasing to
the Lord and not man. Lives that are pleasing to man always lead to
sin, are sinful, prideful, arrogant, and a blasphemy before God. Our
lives in these days are to be pleasing to God, a Holy God.
Our salvation won’t be based on
the fading Silver and Gold of today in Washington DC, White House, or
even the Mighty dollar. Our trust should be in the Lord. Our salvation
is not in this fading Economy, Politicians, or even Society, it will
all disintegrate and fall, our Trust is in The Lord!
A great humbling is coming, and it
is time we humble our selves before the Lord and not men and their
human structures of silver and gold. If we don’t humble ourselves, the
great humbling coming to against all the proud rich men of the earth
shall certainly humble us.
The Apostle Peter sums it up all
well when he says that all flesh is grass and all glory of man as the
flower, the grass withers and the flower falls away. I know these are
heavy messages but this is the reality. All the glory of man in the
West and America will soon fade away. Let our eyes be set on Jesus
Christ and Eternity, and not the things of this earth that fade away
as many hymnists have sung.
In pray that The Lord will give us
grace to see Him and open our understanding, that we may know him and
love him, to love him even when our faith more precious than silver
and gold is tested for His Glory.
1 Peter 1:
1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered
throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time.
6
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye
are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the
trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise
and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet
believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and
searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto
you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit
of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand
the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto
whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did
minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have
preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 13
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the
end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ;
14
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the
former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath
called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth
according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here
in fear:
18
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood
of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but
was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do
believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory;
that your faith and hope might be in God.
22
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the
Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one
another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again,
not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God,
which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as
grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass
withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the
word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you.
Your Brother in Christ Jesus
Kato Mivule
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